Internal-combustion multiple-expansion engine.



A. L. MILLS..

INTERNAL COMBUSTION MULTIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE.

APPLICATlON FILED JULY 9.1915- RENEWEDHAR- EL 1916. mmfim.

Patented May 30, 1916.

ARTHUR L. MILLS, OF FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MULTIPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE Application filed July 9, 1915, Serial No. 38,916. Renewed March 8, 1916.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; ARTHUR L. MILLS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and.

State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Multiple-Expansion Engines, of which the following is a.v specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion multiple expansion engines and it has for its object the provision of an improved device of this character constructed in such manner that all the available energy may be utilized from exploded fuel such as gasolene and the like. This is accomplished by providing a cylinder having mounted therein a rotative element containing pockets into which a fluid fuel is conducted, and there exploded, after which and during the rotation of said member the pocket moves successively into alinement with ports leading to high .and low pressure turbines so that the full expansion force of the burned gases is utilized.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed in accordance with the invention and, Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the combustion chamber thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 5 designates a high pressure turbine and 6 a low pressure turbine. The supply conduit for the low pressure turbine is indicated at 7 and the supply conduit for the high pressure turbine is indicated at 8. Mounted upon the shaft 9 which is common to both of the turbines is a pinion 10 which meshes with a gear 11 upon shaft 12.

This shaft carries a gear 13 which meshes with a gear 14 upon a shaft 15. The shaft 15 carries a rotor 16 disposed within a casing 17. The rotor 16 has a plurality of pockets or chambers 18, 19, 20 and 21. A high pressure port 22 communicates with the conduit'8 and a low pressure port 23 communicates with the conduit 7. .A spark plug 24 of usual and well known form is arranged to explode the charge within the chambers or pockets 18 to 21 at the proper moment. A compressed air pipe 25 is ar- Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented May 311, 1911i.

Serial No. 82,918.

ranged to discharge a jet of compressed air through thefront-wall of casing 17 to scavenge pockets For chambers 18 to 21 at the proper time. An intake pipe 26is arranged to conduct fluid fuel under pressure to the various pockets as they pass the inouth of said intake during the rotation of rotor 16.

The operation of the device is as follows:

As the various chambers or pockets 18 to 21 pass the mouth of the intake pipe 26 they are filled with the fluid fuel under pressure and preferably under comparatively high pressure. The filled chamber, as for instance chamber 20, moves around until it lies in substantially the position of chamber 21. At this time or just a little before this time the spark plug 2 1 ignites the charge and the burned gases immediately begin to pass through the high pressure turbine port to drive the high pressure turbine, it being understood that these gases pass through conduit 8. This action continues until chamber 20 moves out of alinement with port 22 and moves into alinement with the low pressure port 23 where the gases atreduced pressure are discharged through conduit 7 to drive the low pressure turbine. Continued movement of the rotor causes the chamber 20 to come into communication with compressed air pipe 25 and at a time when said chamber ,is still in communication with the low pressure turbine although most of the gases have by this time been discharged into conduit 7. When the mouth of pipe 25 is uncovered a jet of compressed air is discharged into the chamber 20 whereby said chamber is scavenged. It is apparent that each of the chambers 18 to'21 will in turn repeat this operation.

1 am aware of the fact that it has heretofore been proposed to employ a combustion chamber in which gases are exploded and in which said exploded gases are directed into a turbinefor the purpose of driving said turbine but I am not aware that it has ever been proposed, to successively turn these gases into high and low pressure turbines so that their expansive force may be availed of to the utmost and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the employment of high and lowpressure turbines but that on the contrary additional discharge ports may be provided and interme- Having. described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a plurality of turbines, of a movable combustion chamber moving successively into communication with said turbines.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with aplurality of turbines, of a casing, a movable member arranged in said casing and comprising a combustionto said high and low pressure turbines and means for rotating said member to thereby bring each of said pockets successively into communication with the high and low pressure turbines.

4. In a device of the character described,

7 the combination with a high pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine of a rotative member having a plurality of chambers, a casing in which said rotative member is arranged, conduits leading from said casing to said high and low pressure turbines,means for rotating said member to thereby bring each of said pockets successively into communication with the high and low pressure turbines, 'a source of compressed air supply and means for bringing each of said chambers into communication therewith for the purpose of scavenging the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

V ARTHUR L. MILLS. Witnesses:

WILBUR F. Goonmon, -MILAN F. STEVENS. 

